Big wasps nest

[Steve Walker]

Ok but if you leave killing them till Sept when the larvae have become wasps then presumably you will have at least twice as many to deal with?

 

I don't think so - the total population will be in decline with no more new wasps hatching. I don't know at what rate wasps are replaced in a nest during summer, but I should think that the mortality rate is fairly high. Birds, spiders, newspapers, car grills, daft dogs, etc.

[Chris Plumb]

John - if you're after the grubs - then deal with it. If you're not bothered and the wasps aren't bothering you then leave it - they won't occupy the nest next year (will build a new one). We had one in our garage a few years ago - fascinating to see it get bigger - we removed it in the winter after the frosts had got at it. Can't say we had an unusually heavy wasp year that summer either....

 

 

C.

[Steve Walker]

Just one point- they don't reuse old nests, but they do often build new ones on top of them. Worth removing the dead nest in the winter, I think.

[Elton]

Paint it grey, stick a tail on one end and some ears on the other, then tell the local rat-kids that you're having a party and they're welcome to play Piñata.

 

Make sure you're locked safely in a cupboard somewhere.

 

hth

[Ken L]

I leave well alone as I'm alergic to the stings but dad has tried everything from hosepipes to petrol (both work but are messy/dangerous) and now spimply uses a can of fly and wasp killer. The trick is to wait until well after dark and either spray in the hole or onto the nest from inside whatever structure it's built in. He's yet to be stung this way and so far he's had a 100% kill rate.

If ever I felt that I had to remove a nest, that's the way I'll do it.

[The Flying Tench]

John - if you're after the grubs - then deal with it. If you're not bothered and the wasps aren't bothering you then leave it - they won't occupy the nest next year (will build a new one). We had one in our garage a few years ago - fascinating to see it get bigger - we removed it in the winter after the frosts had got at it. Can't say we had an unusually heavy wasp year that summer either....

 

C.

 

No, I'm not after the grubs. If i wanted to try that I'd go for a small nest - this one is huge!

 

Thanks everyone - question answered . Last point about mortality etc answered by Steve .

 

J

[Andrew Boyd]

I've got a very big wasps nest (diameter of 2 footballs) in my attic. 2 questions:

 

1. I read somewhere that wasps were beneficial in July, and only a menace in late August/sept when they were more likely to sting people. So should i leave it till Sept to get rid of it? I am not sure what issues there are re the larvae - ie when are they around and is that the time to attach the nest?

 

2. I normally get rid of them by spraying them with the stuff you get in tesco's. But I'm not sure for a very big nest if that would work, ie whether it would penetrate all the nest?

 

Thanks

 

John

 

 

John

 

Give them a spray 'now', they will soon become a problem.

I use the same thing Tescos / Homebase wasp type sprays . . waiting until dark with all the beasties are inside, make sue you note exactly where the entrence is (I make a chalk mark if your having to spray from the outside ). Take and deep breath and fire away. Has worked every time, even sorted out a couple of nests for friends.